You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

Given the current situation of the Shen family, they should deal with Fu Rou first to let the Xie family know their determination. Otherwise, how can Xie Wanru live with herself?

When Fu Rou was dragged out, she was trembling all over.

"Nianlang! Save me..."

She only called out once before Shen Nian'an rushed over and hugged her.

He was indeed once infatuated with Xie Wanru and had feelings for her, but in his heart, Fu Rou held a heavier place.

“Father! Xie Wanru wanted a divorce anyway. She looks down on my status and hasn’t let me touch her in the two years we’ve been married. Why not grant her wish?”

Shen Nian'an hugged Fu Rou.

Shen Zhan wasn't originally that angry. At least before Shen Nian'an said those words, he still felt that it was all Fu Rou's fault, that she had seduced Shen Nian'an.

Otherwise, Shen Nian'an wouldn't have been so confused.

But now it seems he really overestimated his son.

"Fine, fine... Get out of here now! I'll have your name, Shen Nian'an, crossed out of the family register immediately. Get out!"

To everyone's surprise, Shen Nian'an was not afraid at all; instead, she raised her face.

"Now that my brother is awake, you are so heartless to me. If you want to kill Rou'er, you might as well kick our whole family out. I don't care about my status as a young master of the Marquis's mansion, but I will not let you touch Rou'er."

Madam Shen was shocked. "An'er, are you crazy? What are you saying? Apologize to your father right now!"

“Mother! Why should I apologize? Wasn’t what I said true? Now that my elder brother is close to the Crown Prince, I believe he will soon have a real position. What am I? Just a discarded pawn. You told me to beg Xie Wanru, didn’t I go? She wouldn’t even open the door, how could I beg her?”

Shen Nian'an was crying and sniffling, lacking the resolve one would expect from a negotiation; instead, she looked rather comical.

"Furthermore, have you ever considered that the flower gathering is all women, so why would I appear in her boudoir? I may not be clever, but I'm not stupid either. How could I be so foolish as to go into her room with Rou'er? All of this is so illogical, yet you never ask."

Shen Nian'an's words made Shen Zhan's face turn ashen.

"You...you're blaming your father?" Shen Zhan's voice trembled, his eyes filled with both anger and disappointment.

"Son wouldn't dare, son is just telling the truth. How did you love me when my elder brother was unconscious? How did Mother love Yanzhi? Did you really not know that Yanzhi was my son?"

Shen Nian'an smiled bitterly. When he did these things, everyone was clearly aware of them, but when things went wrong, they all wanted to absolve themselves of any responsibility.

“Now that my older brother is awake, I’ve become the superfluous one. I can’t even control my own feelings, and you don’t need me and Yanzhi anymore.”

Shen Nian'an's voice was tinged with sorrow as he held Fu Rou tightly, as if she were the only warmth he had in this cold family.

Madam Shen, after all, loved her son dearly. She sighed and tried to ease the tension: "Alright, we're all family, why make things so tense? Nian'an, take Fu Rou downstairs first, and we'll discuss this matter further."

Shen Zhan didn't speak, but Shen Nian'an shook her head, her gaze firm: "No, this matter must have a result."

Fu Rou, her eyes glistening with tears, nestled in Shen Nian'an's arms, whispered, "Nian'an, I... I'm not afraid. As long as I'm with you, I'm not afraid of anything."

Shen Nian'an was pleased with her words. Originally, Shen Nian'an still had some expectations for Xie Wanru, but now there were none left, and she only wanted to end it all.

“Father, Xie Wanru must have also told the Empress about wanting a divorce. Since she also wants a divorce, why not end this wrong decision now?”

His marriage to Xie Wanru was wrong in the first place.

“Since she entered the household, when has she ever given Mother a kind look? No matter how bad our Yong'an Marquis's mansion is, it is still a marquis's mansion bestowed by the late emperor. Why should the whole family have to put up with her? Even if I beg her to come back this time, she will only bully us even more.”

Wen Nian'an made up her mind to get a divorce.

After all, Xie Wanru hasn't done anything that would benefit him, and he wanted her to help him get an official position, but she didn't agree.

He tried to use Xie Wanru's status to elevate Shen Yanzhi, but now his efforts have failed. Even if he begged her to come back, he would only have one more ancestor to deal with.

Shen Nian'an's words did not anger Shen Zhan; instead, Shen Zhan calmed down.

"Do you think that whether you two get a divorce or not is a decision that we or she can make? How naive."

Shen Zhan sighed.

Shen Nian'an's words made him suddenly realize that no matter what the Shen family did, it was wrong, and they didn't even have the right to divorce.

Although he has accomplished little over the years, there are still some things he understands clearly.

Xie Wanru was a woman that all the prominent families wanted to marry, but she married him, a second son who had no skills whatsoever. What did she gain from that?

Isn't it just because their Yong'an Marquis's mansion has no real power, and their second son has no right to mistreat their Xie family's daughter?

"Father……"

Shen Nian'an also realized it.

He had thought about it countless times these past few days, and he knew very well that he wouldn't do something so absurd.

Xie Wanru's Plum Garden was heavily guarded, and it was impossible for an ordinary person to enter. Moreover, even if he accidentally went in while he was dizzy, how would he know that Rou'er would be in Xie Wanru's room?

The one who could do all this was clearly Xie Wanru.

"Xie Wanru must have known all along that Yanzhi is my son, otherwise she wouldn't have wanted to adopt Shen Mo back then. She waited so long and exposed Rou'er and me in front of so many people... because even Xie Wanru herself couldn't just get a divorce whenever she wanted, haha."

Shen Nian'an suddenly laughed, then abandoned Fu Rou and ran outside.

"What is this unfilial son up to now! Quickly, bring Shen Nian'an back to me! Now!"

Shen Zhan ordered his men to chase after her, while Old Madam Shen instructed her maid to quickly take Fu Rou back to the woodshed.

Fu Rou didn't know why Shen Nian'an suddenly ran away, but she vaguely felt that this matter should be coming to an end soon.

She was brought back and locked in a cell. She hadn't washed for some time, and although she didn't smell bad, she was no longer as beautiful as before.

"Did they... hit you?" Shen Yanzhi looked up at her.

Perhaps it was the blood relationship between mother and son that moved Shen Yanzhi, even though he didn't want to admit that he was Fu Rou's son, but he was still somewhat moved when he saw Fu Rou's miserable state.

“No, your father wouldn’t allow it, so they didn’t lay a hand on us.” Fu Rou wiped away her tears and squatted down. “This will all be over soon, and we’ll be able to get out of here soon.”

Fu Rou hugged the two children to her arms. She was a failed mother, but she could only swallow her anger so that Shen Yanzhi wouldn't suffer with her.

She knew there was something fishy about it all, but since the Marquis wouldn't even listen to Shen Nian'an, why would he listen to her?